The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-03-09

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rather chop than see the pies spoiled"
"Spiled ~ he cried. "Who's maxim
the pies, Philura 2''
81 wouldn't want to swear that any
body was" says l.
You always make your pies too
sweet" he went on, measuring out
sugar by the tea-spoonful. " My mother
never used much sugar"
He then poured in two tea-cupfuls of
cider molasses and tea-cupful of vine
gar He liked them real tart, he said.
Now for Spices" said he. "Lemme
see. She used to put in a lot of ginger
remember. And thereupon the whole
two-ounce package was emptied. into
the pan. "And cinnamon-ain't we
got any cinnamon sticks?"
No." says 1, "you say you don't
like it,"
cts best for pies, guess, but this
will do;" whereupon the package
of cinnamon followed the ginger.
Gloves, o, yes! Where's the mortar
m pestle?' And he ground up
quarter of pound of cloves and stirred
them in. "Now that's all but the
raisins. o! no, there's the apple"
And he showed in the chopped apple.
go! yes, bread. My mother used to
chop up bread and put in"
"That was when she was short of
apples" remarked.
Who's runnin' these pies?" he re-
peated. "Git me some bread, will
ye?"
l brought the bread and he pounded
some up and stirred it in.
Now, l guess it's ready" and he
began to ladle it into his under crusts.
"Ain't you going to taste of it and
see whether it is right?" says l.
" Your mother used to.
"That's So" says he, "and so did l.,
and want it good ?"
He smacked his lips and tasted, but
noticed he didn't smack 'em the second
time.
You ought to set it on the fire and
cook it all together" l couldn't help
saying. Why, what's the matter,
Jeremiah ?'
The tears was chasing each other
down his hollow cheeks, and for min
ute l was real scairt.
There seems to be little too much
ginger" he said, BLOWN his nose,
but III fix 'em."
Then he went to work putin in
more stuff. A cup more of cider mo-
lasses and cup more of vinegar, con-
siderable pepper, but no salt, two
pounds of raisins, whole, and the con-
tents of bottle of paregoric | see
him put in Then he went to the sit
tin'-room closet and brought the bottle
of brandy l keep for sickness and put
half of that into the mixture he was
connecting. | looking Mortified, in
deed, for l never use it in cooking.
Doctors say mince-pies ought al
ways to hev brandy in 'em to keep ZEN
from hurtin' folks" says he; Il don't
begruch a little brandy in such good
pies as these"
Then he stirred up the whole mess
My land! There was great chunks OF
meat and great long strings in it. AND
such a looking pan of mince-meat
never see!
But l said nothing as he went on anG
filled his pies and proceeded to cover
'em. The crust had got so hard ant
stiff he could scarcely roll it out, but he
finally got it down not much thicker
than the under crust. Without cutting
any air-holes he covered the pie, tuck
ing in the edge where it came over
and pulling it out where it came short.
Then his pies went into the oven.
He insisted on building up an awful
fire, and in few minutes the juice OF
his pies CHS meat was floating around
in an ambulance of molasses and vine
gar) came running out on the floor
jeremiah bounded to the oven door
He didn't look near so clipper as wher
he first began his pies.
/" l wish, Philura," says he, "you'd
jest see here minute. That crust
don't act WELL"
| should say not! The inside hat
riz up and was runnin' over all around
while thick, feathery-looking sub
stance rose up in the middle of it, burn
pretty near black.
" Whose runnin' these pies, Jere
miah? says l. You didn't stick you
two crusts together"
"Wall, why didn't you tell me not t.
; to begin with, then?" he yelled: "no
twit me with it now"
But | went back to the settin'-roon
where | was sweeping, and left him t.
wrestle with the pies alone.
But after a while / looked out.
never saw more dejected-looking pic
, ture or a more depressed man. Hi
apron had got twisted to one side ant
: was covered with flour. Great dabs o
-four were on both sides of his face ant
his whiskers were jest dredged. TIL
tears he had shed had made water
courses through the dirt and flour, an,
!, his expressions, o my! words fail me
He was jest taking pie out of tn
oven and settin' it on the table. II
, put the pan of mince-meat in chair t.
make room for the next pie, and the
- he took that out, the liquid from
dripping all over him and the kitchen
, floor. And if it wasn't a queer-lookin
pie! The crust had crawled up in
roundish heap in the middle an
: the inside was roaming about ever
, where, as if seeking somebody to de
] your it. My pardner stood still Qeay
ing the oven door OPEN and gazed a
;, them. Then he backed back in a scr
, rowful kind of way, and set right squar
down in his pan of mince-meat. II
had had it on the stove, and it wa
+ bling hot, and he yelled accordingly
jumping an tearing around the room
, like mad. | rushed out with some dr.
= pants and helped him on with 'em. TIL
f first thing he did afterwards was t.
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